While each and every one of the tricks Michael explained were gimmicked, this was a great lecture (my favorite lecture along with Dan Harlan's second one).

He explained:

Mental Parano: This was one of the few gimmicks that was very easy to make. I've already started making it. A cool mentalism effect with some other applications if you think about it. Unfortunately, you can only use the deck for this trick. 7/10

Painting card: Aother relatively simple gimmick (if you have a little bit of knowledge about gimmicks). He explains 3 effects with it. I especially liked the super clean and visual version of paul harris' trick "illusion". I might decide to make and use this. 7.5/10

In air: This is a very hard gimmick to make for such a quick effect, albeit a very visual one. I might buy it (probably not, though), but I for sure won't make it myself. 5.5/10

Bill Flash Card: Oh my God this is visual! With some presentation, you could turn this trick into a showpiece. The bill just morphs into the card with no cover. The gimmick is so well made, and I will definitely order the trick, rather than make it myself. Bravo. 9.5/10

The Lane: I also loved this. This fooled me (and David Copperfield) badly. The method is so clever, and I'll definitely use a modified version of this (the vanish is pretty gaffed). Another stunner. Gimmick is easy to make with some materials you can find at an office store. 9/10

Hole: I like it, but I don't think I'll order it or try to make it. It looks fun to perform, but I don't think it's as impressive to spectators as it is to magicians. It is fairly practical, however. 7/10.

Exit: This is super cool. A "chosen" card melts through the card box and appears under the cellophane. An alternate handling allows the card to be signed, although I don't think I'll use that method. Perfect finale to a routine. The box is not examinable, but since this is a closer, it isn't necessary with some audience management. Gimmick is also relatively easy to make. 8/10

Escape: Watch the demo and you will be floored. No real nasty surprises. I probably won't use it because it's a lot of effort for one moment. Gimmick is easy to make with one gimmick that is found at most magic shops. 7.5/10

Watcher: Didn't like this one. Very unmotivated and suspicious. The gimmick is clever as always, but I sort of had an idea as to how it works and I'm sure a spectator would want to look at the box (which they can't). Meh. 4/10

Cello: Really neat. With some presentation and some sleight of hand, you can make this effect even cleaner. Everything they would want to examine canbe examined. With some effort, the coin can be signed (spec signs one card, magician signs the other) or (as I prefer) the date could be remembered. Pretty cool and very makeable. 7.5/10

Speed: Wasn't wild about it. I just think it looks fishy and I think the spectators would also think that the credit card is vital to the method. I wasn't fooled by it, and it didn't really excite me. 5/10

Ink: If you want to perform this, you definitely need to order the dvd and get the gimmick because it is very complicated. It's clever and I like it, but I prefer other, less visual methods of making ink change on a card box (see Shawn Farquhar's lecture). 6.5/10

Rewind: Another gimmick that is nearly impossible to make. If youlike the method, get it because it is super clean and visual. I don't like one moment in the routine (right before you reveal the restored card to be their card), but I still might go out and get it. 7/10

Michael's methods are devious. Although the explanations aren't great, the lecture does not suffer. Put in the work and you'll love the end result.

I was really looking forward to this because i really like gimmicks. His gimmicks were very clever and it looked like real magic. But... almost all of them you have to buy from him because he wouldn't tell you the specific things to buy for it and when he did teach how to make something it would be soooo hard to understand. It was nice to know how these work but I want to go home and do some, not have to spend hundreds on his tricks. This was like an ad for him. I guess if you are really good you can try to make the gimmicks.

... nearly everything was gimmicked and not of that kind to be selfmade at home. So special with the material ... if someone wants to use it in that fair and smooth way, it has to be ordered.

For me (just my 2cents) it was somehow like a kind of commercial selling show.

The ideas behind this tricks are great and sure there are some thoughts to use it in another way, but for me personally it was just too much ("buy it" or forget it ...).

after watching this i am quite undecided about the lecture.
michael is great thinker but what i got from this looks more like a sellers demo rather than teaching. there have been some lectures that i have had where some fantastic worth every penny for not just the effects but for the knowledge.
i was looking forward to learning something but there wasnt a great deal from this because even though he went through the workings he didnt explain how to make the gimmicks for a lot of the effects even though you could somehow reconstruct them with some patience.
im not having a go at michael as he is a very talented magician and thinker with plenty of ideas but this lecture was one of the weakest that penguin has brought.
some people might disagree with this some might agree but this is just my opinion

This is a difficult to review to write. Mickael Chatelain is a brilliant creator of gimmicked magical effects that allow the magician to perform visually beautiful and stunning pieces. However, this lecture was mainly a dealer demo lecture.

I had some difficulty watching the lecture due to streaming issues and did not see a portion of the lecture, but I don't know if there is anything a magician can walk away performing.

I know The Zombie Magic loved it, and I will wait eagerly to read his review.

I read on the Magic Cafe some comments about Mickael's magic being brilliant, but mainly a dealer demo lecture for his products.

It's true, that the magic he displayed were of marketed effects. But he exposed how they work. They were not tricks that required metallurgy experience and $2000 lathes. Just some dental dam and glue and you have a miracle.

Will it require some research on how to make them? Yes and that's not a bad thing. Magicians seem to always want things handed to them on a silver platter and not do any work for it. "Easy to Do...Self working...instant reset" are words they look for. Those were the tricks Dai Vernon said he ignored because anyone could do those.

You can get the booklet "Lickity Split The Art of Card Splitting Card" and learn to make them

Or pick out the tricks from the lecture that you saw everyone cheering over and buy those:
http://www.penguinmagic.com/magician/mickael-chatelain

While 99% of those that watched the lecture are complaining, you can be performing magic that looks like trick photography. Make this an opportunity to separate yourself from the pack.

What Mickael performed and taught, this lecture should cost $1000 to watch. From Strolling to Restaurants, these are eye candy miracles to perform.

Mickael is not a great performer, but a great creator.
This lecture is very nice to watch because of the methods he uses for creating visual and quick effects.
I think most effects are for magicians, because lay people can feel astonishing effects without so much gimmicks
All the props are not explained on how to construct them, thats fine because its his job selling them, but if you know how other gimmicks work you can make them yourself.

Great, great effects and methods. It is true that Mickael does not spend time detailing the specifics of gaff building. But for the most part the gaffs are clearly discussed. There are plenty of sources for how to make these kinds of gaffs, and if time had been spent on that, Mickael’s lecture would only have included two tricks. The approach was as it should have been.

Bien joué Mickael !! Live très intéressant ! Oops sorry I switch in English ;)

As said Mickael at the beginning, he is NOT a manipulator so do not expect to learn tricks with advanced sleight of hands ! But you will discover the universe of Mickael Chatelain and a lot of his gimmicks ! Some people will say that it is a "seller" live and it is not interesting. Ok for the first part but I don't agree with the second part because you really discover the work of Mickael in live just in front of you, giving you a lot of piece of advice about handling and presentation ideas and most important : he shares with you how the gimmick works ! This is very very nice from him because that's allow you to know if the trick/gimmick could correspond/fit to your magic, style, presentation ...

Thanks Elodie too for the translation during all the live ;)

Conclusion: Very interesting live with a lot of ideas !